Kerryn Phelps (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I'm here to express condolences on the death of Jeremy Spinak. Jeremy Spinak was an exceptional member of the Wentworth community and his contribution to the community exceeded that of most people twice his age. I'd like to acknowledge the presence of his wife, Rhiannon, here today. Jeremy's life was centred in the electorate of Wentworth, but his impact on society was far wider. With an abiding love of history and an interest in politics gained from his grandparents and nurtured by his parents, his educational journey took him across the world, from Woollahra Public School to Georgetown University in Washington DC, via Emanuel school and the University of New South Wales. His early political career included an internship in the New South Wales parliament, a role in John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign and a position as a legislative aid to the US Senate minority leader. It was, however, through his service to the New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies that Jeremy's impact on society was perhaps the most substantial.

Jeremy served the board of deputies for over a decade, including a term as one of its youngest presidents—a role he relinquished just a few months before his untimely passing. Jeremy helped the organisation to grow in strength and drove an increased focus on intercultural relationships and interfaith programs. His leadership featured coalition-building, bipartisanship and advocacy across a wide range of issues, including strong support for marriage equality. Jeremy was particularly proud of creating dialogue with the Uniting Church, engaging with key ethnic and religious groups in New South Wales, facilitating former Premier Mike Baird's historic visit to Israel and helping organise a bespoke course on anti-Semitism for the editors of The Sydney Morning Herald.

Jeremy was a much loved and greatly respected leader of the community. His commitment to social cohesion and intercultural harmony was unequivocal. He leaves behind a strong, positive legacy for the Jewish community, for its intercultural relations and for the wider community as a whole. I was deeply moved by the collective grief of the community at his funeral service and at the minyan the following day. We have lost a remarkable community leader at far too young an age. On behalf of all of the people of Wentworth, I wish to extend my deepest condolences to Jeremy's wife, Rhiannon, his baby twins, Grace and Michael, his parents, his siblings and the extended Spinak family.

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